Ms PLIBERSEK (Sydney—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:28): Of course, all of us in this place acknowledge the member for Longman and her incredibly brave speech. It's impossible to speak after her without acknowledging that. Mr Deputy Speaker, I'm sure that you would remember, as many on this side do, when the Prime Minister and the education minister proudly unveiled their new schools funding calculator after they'd made changes to the schools funding arrangements. It didn't last very long. It got taken down quick smart, because what that schools funding calculator allowed schools to do is look up how much worse off they would be under the government's changed funding arrangements. It was down for five months. It's finally been replaced by something that doesn't really allow us to compare apples with apples. This whole exercise has been about covering up for the fact that those opposite are cutting billions of dollars from our schools. Just this week, we've released information from the Parliamentary Budget Office and the National Catholic Education Commission that shows just how much worse off schools will be over the next two years. In fact, over the next two years alone—this year, calendar year 2018; and calendar year 2019—Australian schools will be $2.19 billion worse off than they would be under Labor's funding arrangements. The extraordinary thing about this is that the cuts don't hit every sector equally, do they? In fact, the cuts hurt the poorest kids in the poorest schools the most. If you look at the cut to public schools of $1.88 billion over the next two years, that is 86 per cent of the total value of the cuts. Guess what? Public school kids are 66 per cent of the kids, so the largest share of the cuts by far, a disproportionately large share of the cuts, hits public schools. Public schools get 86 per cent of the cuts, Catholic schools get 12 per cent of the cuts and independent schools get just two per cent of the cuts. How does that work? In South Australia, this has been a really incredible hit to the schools budget—$210 million cut from South Australian schools over the next two years alone. Government schools losing— Mr Tudge interjecting— Ms PLIBERSEK: It's in the budget papers, you moron. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Irons ): Order! The member for Sydney will withdraw. Ms PLIBERSEK: I withdraw. I withdraw the name. One of the things that are extraordinary about this is we've got a Liberal South Australian education minister who has cut $210 million from South Australian schools, but who helped him do it? Who allowed him to do it? It was the Xenophon Team's votes in the Senate that allowed these cuts to hit South Australian schools. It wouldn't be such a surprise, because you've got an ex-Liberal and a bunch of ex-Liberals helping a Liberal government cut the budget in schools, except here is a letter from then senator Nick Xenophon firmly promising—hand on heart, no equivocation—that he would never agree to cut the schools funding package that Labor delivered. The letter states: I write to reiterate in the strongest possible terms, the commitment of the Nick Xenophon Team in relation to the implementation of the Gonski funding model … we stand by full implementation and full funding of Gonski. In particular we support the current system of indexation— the current system of indexation— and will oppose any moves to change it. Well, he didn't oppose the moves. He backed them right in through here and through the Senate, and they would not have got through the Senate without the backing of the Nick Xenophon Team. He writes to principals: I look forward to working with you and your members to ensure Gonski funding is defended and maintained for the future of Australia's children. This same man seeks to be the member for Hartley. What does this do to schools in the electorate of Hartley? Norwood Morialta High School will lose $1.4 million over the next two years. That is a lot of cakes he's going to have to buy at the cake stall; it's a lot of sausages at the sausage sizzle that the local member is going to have to make up for. It's a few pieces of art at the art fete they might have, as many schools do. What about East Marden Primary School? Every year, they have a fundraising effort where they sell voucher booklets to raise money. How many voucher booklets is the member for Hartley, Mr Xenophon—if he is successful—going to have to buy to replace the $640,000 cut from this school this year and next year? This year and next year, $640,000 will be cut from this school. This contrasts, of course, with the Weatherill government, which has been investing in schools, with 800 new teachers and $1 billion of infrastructure upgrades in recent years. It is the largest ever spend by a South Australian government, with Norwood Morialta High School getting an extra $30 million and East Marden an extra $7½ million. We are absolutely committed to reversing every dollar of the funding cuts that this Liberal government, with the help of the Nick Xenophon Team, smashed through this parliament—every single dollar restored. But I have to say that this is not theoretical future funding that we are talking about; these cuts are hitting this year. The Liberal government shoved these cuts through this parliament with the help of the Nick Xenophon Team. If that money had been allowed to flow to South Australia as intended, $210 million would have paid for 280 more school support officers, 186 more speech therapists, 203 new counsellors and 505 new teachers. Imagine the difference that would make in South Australian schools if those opposite hadn't cut the original funding that the South Australian government had signed up to and expected quite rightly to receive from the federal government because they had a signed deal with the federal government. And all this while it's not just South Australia that's being affected. Tasmania will lose $68 million over the next two years alone. Think about the difference $68 million makes in Tasmanian schools. And those are not our figures; that is what the Liberal Deputy Premier says is the cut to Tasmanian schools. Nevertheless, he's prepared to back in the cut because he'd rather suck up to his friends in Canberra than stand up for Tasmanian schoolchildren. That's why Tasmania needs a government led by Bec White to actually stand up for Tasmanian schoolchildren. This extra funding is critical to our schools. It's this extra funding that has been cut by those opposite that means more one-on-one attention for kids who are struggling, help to identify the kids that are struggling, help to make sure they catch up, help to make sure their literacy and numeracy is first rate. It means extra investment in science and coding—making sure they have the specialist teachers to teach these specialist subjects. It means more extension activities for kids who are gifted and talented. It means more help with the basics and more help for all of the enrichment that makes a school experience a great school experience. We should expect to deliver the best education in the world to Australian schoolchildren, not rip the guts out of school kids' education as those opposite are doing. And why are they doing it? This is the bit that really gets me. Why are they doing it? So they can give $65 billion of big business tax cuts that they hope will one day trickle down. Well, history has taught us something different, hasn't it—$65 billion of big business tax cuts straight to the pockets of overseas shareholders instead of properly funding our schools so that our kids get every assistance. We want every Australian child to get a great education. We want every Australian school to be a great school. And it is appalling that those opposite have cut $2.19 billion this year and next year from our schools. The cuts hit public schools and Catholic schools the hardest And what are those opposite doing? They are still defending it. They are not even embarrassed. They should go and face their school communities and explain themselves.